Belleville’s voters made electoral history Tuesday, May 12, by electing the township’s youngest-ever mayor at 24 and by making him the youngest mayor in New Jersey today.
Councilman and Mayor-elect Frank Velez unseated two-term incumbent Mayor Michael A. Melham by a vote count of 3,281 or 59% of the vote to 2,242 or 41% of the vote. Velez says the turnout of 5,523 people — or 14% of the electorate — is a record for the township.
“We did it and we want to say thank you to the thousands of you who came out to vote in this historic election here in Belleville,” Velez said. “This is the highest turnout for an election in Belleville history and we did it — you actually came out to vote. You voted for change and you voted for the whole team. We cannot say thank you enough. I am beyond honored to serve as your next mayor — to be the youngest mayor in history and the first Latino mayor in history. And I am so committed to serve every family of every background of Belleville. …We are going to fight to make sure you are cared for and we cannot wait to begin this journey on July 1.”
Melham, meanwhile, expressed great disappointment in his first loss in the last three elections.
“Last night’s results were disappointing, to say the least,” Melham said the day after the election. “But I leave this chapter incredibly proud of what was accomplished over the past eight years. An average tax increase of just $68 per year over the last five years. New parks, programs, events, facilities, public parking, open space preservation and investments across every corner of Belleville. Progress that had not been seen here in generations.
“This township was guided through COVID, Hurricane Ida, the Newark Lead Water Crisis and the Great Fire of 2026. Through every challenge, leadership remained steady and focused on moving Belleville forward. There are absolutely no regrets.
“Over the next month and a half, until July 1, there is still work to be done. In fact, yesterday on Election Day, a three-page letter was hand-delivered to the governor requesting a State of Emergency declaration to help Belleville recover nearly $2.9 million in cleanup costs from the Valley fire. The work does not stop.
“As I move on from office, please know this: I’m not going away. I’ll still be here as a resident, taxpayer, business owner and proud member of this community. I will absolutely remain civically and politically involved. I may even attend one of the 48 community meetings that have been promised.
“To everyone who reached out with kind words and support, thank you. It truly meant a lot to me and my family. I know the work that was done. I know what was accomplished. I just hope it survives, because Belleville deserves it. As for me, I have my health, my family, a fantastic business and no shortage of opportunities ahead. I’m good. I just pray Belleville will be too.”
After his statement, Melham also addressed something else that caught many onlookers off guard.
“To address the rumors circulating today … the mayor’s car was not repossessed this morning! I have a job and a great career. That said, I can confirm it was actually the new mayor, the mayor-elect’s car, that was repossessed. Like I said… I’m praying for you, Belleville.”
Melham’s statement got the attention of the state and New York City media which addressed the rumors. Velez did not answer when asked by the New York media about the mayor’s claim. The Observer sent two emails to Velez without response as of presstime. However, if he does answer after the printing of this week’s edition, we will address it online at www.theobserver.com and in a live video Tuesday, May 19, at 1:30 p.m. at www.theobserver.live.
Did the fire really have that much of an impact?
There were some who were quick to blame the massive 14-alarm fire in the Valley section of town for Melham’s loss and Velez’s win, including in comments the mayor-elect made in front of TV cameras. However, there were political observers who said the fire was entirely too close to the election to have made that much of a difference. Instead, they said, Belleville’s voters had already decided who they’d vote for at least a “month before the fire.”
Still, that did not stop reporters from New York City TV stations from boasting Melham’s fire response cost him the election.
Outgoing Deputy Mayor Naomy DePena chimed was extremely disappointed by that notion.
“To wake up and see national headlines implying there was mishandling of the Belleville fire by Mayor Michael Melham is dishonest, untrue and disgraceful,” DePena wrote in a May 15 statement. “I normally would not respond because not everything needs to become political or performative, but this narrative is simply false and unfair to the people who have been working nonstop behind the scenes. I’m speaking up because I’ve had a front-row seat to the care, urgency, generosity and commitment Mayor Melham has shown toward this town and the families affected by this tragedy.
“… While others were campaigning, posting or talking, this is what was happening behind the scenes: We suspended campaign activities for days to focus entirely on the emergency response and the needs of displaced families. Daily updates were being shared with the community through the mayor’s social media to keep residents informed and connected to resources. On Mother’s Day, we worked directly with a local property owner to secure emergency housing for a displaced family within hours after their shelter situation fell through. On Election Day, an official request was hand-delivered to the governor asking for a state of emergency declaration to help cut through red tape and bring faster support to impacted families and businesses…
“Politics is politics. Elections are over. But exploiting one of the biggest tragedies our town has faced in recent memory to create false headlines is not leadership. It damages trust, hurts families already suffering and disrespects the people who have been working around the clock to help.
“I have said repeatedly, both publicly and privately, that I believe you, Frank Vélez III, are a good person surrounded by people giving you terrible advice. But at some point, when false narratives continue on your behalf without correction, silence becomes participation. If there is integrity in this situation, these false claims should be publicly denounced and the political games surrounding this tragedy should stop immediately. Please prove me right. Otherwise, thank you for making it clear who you are and what Belleville can expect over the next four years.”
Learn more about the writer ...
Kevin A. Canessa Jr. is the editor of and broadcaster at The Observer, an organization he has served since 2006. He is responsible for the editorial content of the newspaper and website, the production of the e-Newspaper, writing several stories per week (including the weekly editorial), conducting live broadcasts on social media channels such as YouTube, Facebook, and X, including a weekly recap of the news — and much more behind the scenes. Between 2006 and 2008, he introduced the newspaper to its first-ever blog — which included podcasts, audio and video. Originally from Jersey City, Kevin lived in Kearny until 2004, lived in Port St. Lucie. Florida, for four years until February 2016 and in March of that year, he moved back to Kearny to return to The Observer full time. Click Here to send Kevin an email.